Royals Agree to Terms with Forward Ian Watters

Pickering, Ontario Native Had 23 Points in 37 Games with Idaho Steelheads in Rookie Season

The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, today announced that the organization has agreed to terms with forward Ian Watters. The Royals now have fifteen players announced as signed for the 2013-14 season. In addition to Watters, the others are: Mike Banwell (d), Matt Campanale (d), Louie Caporusso (f), Julien Cayer (f), Ethan Cox (f), David Marshall (f), Bryant Molle (d), Ian O’Connor (f), Ryan Santana (f), Bobby Shea (d), Yannick Tifu (f), Brad Walch (d), Sean Wiles (f), and Marc Zanette (f).

Watters (6’0/191) (21), a second year pro from Pickering, Ontario, began last season with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL where he played one game before being released. He landed with the Augusta RiverHawks of the Southern Professional Hockey League, where he recorded seventeen points (8g-9a) and forty-seven penalty minutes in twenty-five games, before being signed by the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL on January 10, 2013. In thirty-seven games with Idaho, he scored nine goals, assisted on fourteen others (twenty-three points) and was assessed with twenty-eight penalty minutes.

Prior to turning pro, Watters spent three full seasons with the Brampton Battalion in the Ontario Hockey League, scoring forty-five goals and assisting on fifty-two others (ninety-seven points) over a span of 159 games. In 2010-11, he was second on the Battalion with twenty goals in sixty-eight games. In his overage year, 2011-12, Watters, who served as an alternate captain for the Battalion, recorded thirty points (16g-14a) despite only playing in thirty-four games in a season that was disrupted by injury. Prior to joining Brampton, Watters played one season with the Ajax Attack in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. That year, he led the Attack with thirty-one goals (and seventy-nine points) in forty-six games and was selected as the OJHL Rookie of the Year in the Ruddock Division.

Season Tickets for the 2013-14 Reading Royals ECHL season are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 for more information or log onto www.royalshockey.com.